Yahoo accounts hijacked via email-based attack: Bitdefender

A new email-based attack has been hijacking Yahoo accounts, security software company Bitdefender Labs has reported.

Bitdefender has warned of a link circulating in spam emails that appears to lead to an MSNBC Web page, but in reality leads to a page at a com-im9.net subdomain.

The link leads to a page housing a malicious piece of JavaScript that is disguised as the Lightbox JavaScript library. The site housing the script was registered in Ukraine on 27 January and is hosted in a data centre in Cyprus.

The second stage of the attack exploits an unpatched WordPress uploader component used by the Yahoo! Developer blog. The developer blog is housed at a Yahoo.com subdomain, and the attackers are able to steal a victim's Yahoo.com cookie, giving them access to the victim's contact list, providing further targets to spam.

Bitdefender is urging Yahoo account holders to watch out for spam emails and not to click on links in emails from unknown senders.

Copyright 2015 IDG Communications. ABN 14 001 592 650. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of IDG Communications is prohibited.